


I Want (This/Us/You)

by Miss_Glass_Doll



Series: Growing Pains [2]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Anxiety, Getting Together, M/M, Medal Ceremonies, Olympic Romance, Romance, Slow burn? What's slow burn?, They Go From 'Nice To Meet You' to Ripping Each Other's Clothes Off So Quick
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-21
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-02-16 08:17:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21504760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_Glass_Doll/pseuds/Miss_Glass_Doll
Summary: Olympic Romances never last in the outside world. But, what should have been a two week fling in Russia for them, quickly evolves into so so much more. Now it's just the hope that they're smart enough to hold onto it.
Relationships: Kent "Parse" Parson/Original Male Character(s)
Series: Growing Pains [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1155533
Comments: 7
Kudos: 60





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Am I posting this instead of working on my NaNo project? Why, yes. Yes I am. So, here it is, chapter one of how Kent and Ashe from Fall Down, Get Up met and fell in love.

_**America House** _  
_**Olympic Village Coastal Cluster** _  
_**Sochi, Russia** _  
_**February, 2014** _

The Olympic Village has been a wild ride since the second Kent Parson first stepped foot in it. Open manholes, unfinished sidewalks, half paved roads, dangerously low trenches; Kent literally walked through a hole in a wall his first day here (Greg Rouster, a snowboarder for Team USA, has photographic proof of the event). That's not even mentioning the ongoing construction or the bizarre athlete accommodations.

The snowboarders and skiers had permanently moved to the mountain village cluster the days before the Men's Hockey Teams were set to arrive. Meaning, the now vacant rooms are liable to having any number of bizarre left-behinds. Like the single sheet of lined paper, taped to the bathroom mirror, whose only message was ‘ _don’t trust the windows_ ’, or the purple heart pillows - six of them, to be exact - piled in the corner.

There are three, extra long twin beds in Kent's room, each separated by a plain looking bedside table. He, personally, has absolutely no problem fitting on his bed (the one furthest from the door cause Franklin Dahmer, a D-Man from the Schooners, is convinced the room is haunted despite it having just been built). This time, at least, his smaller than average build for a hockey player is finally paying off. Dahmer and Leclair (Maurus Leclair, #42, right winger for the Kings), are both over six feet and easily over two hundred pounds, meaning they both barely fit on their respective beds.

The weird framed picture of a bear, dressed in traditional-looking jacket and hat, on the wall was directly across from Kent’s assigned bed. It stares at him while he tries to sleep. 

Thinking on it, this might have been what freaked Dahmer out when he first arrived.  
This was going to be a long two weeks.

_**Athlete Dining Hall** _  
_**Olympic Village Coastal Cluster** _  
_**Sochi, Russia** _  
_**February 2014** _

When Kent sat down for breakfast his first morning in Russia, the top trending post on Twitter was of an Olympic interview where a US figure skater admits his driving motivation in the Games is getting out of his business law final back home. A very relatable reason, if the comments on social media are to be believed. Of course, that isn’t what caught Kent’s attention as he watched the interview.

No, he was caught on glossy black curls. And on barely-there eyeliner framing too-pretty eyes. And on cheekbones sharp enough to cut himself on. And on that barely-there chuckle that sounded way more like a wheeze than anything else. And Kent was especially caught on the nameplate at the bottom of the screen.

His name is Ashley Cruz.

He’s a figure skater.

His smile is like the sun.

And Kent is so fucked.

Kent is two bites and an existential crisis into his breakfast when two more trays are set down just in front of his own and the last person in the world he's expected to approach him, speaks.

“You know, when they said the Men’s Hockey teams were gonna start showing up today, I didn't think one of my rink mates would be with them.” The voice is smooth and deep and entirely distracting. The person that slides into the seat across from Kent is all smiles and teasing glances.

“I didn't know you two knew each other?” A pretty blonde woman with dark eyes and freckles and a definite Brooklyn accent, says from across the table. There's a vague feeling of unease settling in Kent’s gut.  
They don’t know each other.   
Kent didn't even know the guy's name until ten minutes ago. He’s just been harbouring the Crush Of The Century™ on him for the last half year. 

“Only, like, sorta? We train at the same rink back home.” His hair is pulled into a low bun, and his Team USA jacket hangs loosely over slight shoulders. The smile he aims at Kent is all plush lips and bright teeth. 

His bottom lip is split.

“What happened to your face?” The question tumbles from Kent's mouth before he really processes the thought. The woman immediately breaks down into some kind of deep, snort-laugh combination as Ashley - _his name is Ashley_ \- glares at her.

“Sofie is going to murder you.” It's said in the most deadpan way that Kent can't tell if he's joking or not.

“And I'll let her. That move was _gold_!” 

“Oh my _god_!” 

Turning back to Kent, her smile goes mischievous as she begins to explain. “You won’t believe it. This kid-”

“Sasha! Not in front of the cute hockey player!” The tone is light and teasing, but the flush that brightens his cheeks gives him away. Kent's actually very proud of himself for not staring like a creep when he notices.

“-catches sight of the Swedish short track team while walking back from practice-”

“Sasha! No!”

“-and literally brains himself on a piece of railing after stepping on black ice!”

“Are you going to tell that story to everyone? We’re not friends anymore, _oh my god_.”

“You almost gave yourself a concussion cause of some short track racers?” He can't honestly say he ever payed very much attention to the short track teams, but Kent can understand being distracted by athletes.

Ashley's eyes go wide and sincere as he splays a hand over his heart. “ _Dude_.” It's said so earnestly as the kid leans forward in his seat. “You don’t understand. Have you seen the _thighs_ on those guys? I would literally _die_ to be between some of them.” Kent's not sure if that was meant as a joke or not. And now he's even less sure on which Swedish short track team they're talking about.

“You can't fuck every athlete here, Ashe.” She uses the exact kind of tone the Aces’ PR director, Elena Johnson, uses when she’s trying to explain why something one of the guys posted on social media was Not Good.

“Wanna bet?” Petulance at it’s finest.

“No.” It’s sighed, accompanied by an eye-roll before she turns back to Kent with a bright smile and a proffered hand. “Getting back on track, hi. I'm Sasha Davens. US Women's Curling.” Her grip is strong and confident, her smile disarmingly cheerful given the last twenty minutes of conversation. A quick glance over shows that Ashley has started in on his hard-boiled eggs already. Sasha smacks him on the shoulder with her badge.

“OW!” The absolute whiplash with how these two treat each other is almost making Kent’s head spin. After a quick glare, Ashley turns back to Kent, easy smile and _intent_ shining in his dark eyes. “Ashley Cruz. US Men's Single Skating.”

“Kent Parson. US Men's Hockey.” Thankfully, Kent’s voice doesn’t shake at the implications of that stare. “And I’m pretty sure I caught your interview with NBC last night.”

Ashley lets out the most aggrieved groan Kent has ever heard a person make, slumping into his chair, head lolling back on his neck. “Fuck me. That interview is gonna haunt me for the rest of forever, huh?”

“Yeah, probably.” At this point Kent isn't even actively following what the other two are saying anymore. Ashley's groaned ' _Fuck me_ ' replaying over and over again in his head. 

“Oh man.”

“Sofie even told ya’ to stick to script, Ashe. This is all your fault.”

“First of all, rude. Second of all, don’t listen to her." It took a second to register that Ashley was talking to him now, but he leaned ever so closer over the table to stage whisper, "Sasha over here actually liked media training as a baby olympian.”

“I'll keep that in mind.” It's the right thing to say, apparently, because as soon as he does, Ashley's grin widens into a full, blinding kind of smile. He chuckles that wheeze/laugh from the interview and smiles at Kent.

"Yeah, you better."

And Kent is so fucked. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Do you think you could eat a hundred chicken nuggets and still be good to play after?” Kent asks, maybe a little too loud just to be heard over the general chatter.  
>    
> “YES!” The shout comes from around the shower room door beside them. Hoots - Aaron Whoes, a D-Man from the Leafs - sticks his head around the door frame, focuses right on Kent and Swoops, and grins. "You totally could."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I live!
> 
> So, I originally intended for this to be a quick 3 chapter How They Met kind of story. That is apparently no longer the case. So here's the next chapter, not beta-ed, and hopefully it doesn't take another seven months to update again.
> 
> Also! I have next to no idea how the Olympics actually works! So there's a lot of made up stuff coming up!

_**Olympic Park** _  
_**Sochi, Russia** _  
_**February, 2014** _

Communicating with people almost entirely through direct messages on Twitter is probably the thing Kent least expected from the Games. But between the time zone shift and data rates, it seems to be the best option out of a weird lot. Though, a couple of the guys on his team were talking about having local sim cards they bought at the airport when they first arrived. Still, the WiFi in the Village and in the Park make using the internet to communicate an easy enough option to live with.

Of course, Twitter being his main contact point means that both of Kent’s new friends from breakfast the day before were quick to exchange usernames and follows with him. And the fact that Kent spent a good part of the evening after practice looking through the instagram linked to Ashley’s twitter account and recognizing a good portion of the places posted is really just beside the point here. 

A message from the Aces PR Director knocks Kent from his embarrassment as he reaches the training arena the hockey teams are using. She wants to set up a conference call with him and Troy later to discuss their interview strategies in more detail before the first game. They set a time for eight-thirty that evening, after he and Swoops should be done with dinner and so they can reserve one of the conference spaces by the lounge on their floor. They'll have to bail if the team had any plans to hang out, but that might not be such a bad thing.  
  
At this point in the Games, Kent has spent all of twelve hours total with his team. Most of them he's known and played against for years and a few are from the farm teams around the league. They are all amazing athletes and players. That doesn't make being thrust onto a team together and expected to play a game against the Slovakian team four days after arriving in country any easier.   
  
It's not even that they all don't mesh as a team; with enough work and effort they could be phenomenal. No, the problem lies in the fact that they only have sixteen hours of ice time before their first qualifying match. And even worse is the fact that they're playing against the Slovakian team.   
  
Vancouver's silver medallists.  
  
Tensions are already high and everyone wants to win a medal for their country, Russia almost more than anyone. The stakes are enormous and Kent isn't even captain here, that title went to Josiah Rossi from the Stars, but that doesn't stop him from reacting like one. Most of the guys are still trying to sleep off the jetlag and the others are having a tough time trying to adjust to even being at the Olympics. The near constant training and practice is going to leave someone hurt if they don't get some time to rest and decompress soon.  
  
But, as they filter out onto the ice, Coach is calling for their attention and they’re all here with one goal in mind. Even if Kent has somehow managed to become a rom-com character in the last three days, they’re here to play Hockey.

  
Three hours later, Kent is flopping down into his stall and yanking his training jersey off before pulling his phone from the shelf. Thumbing it open, Kent only half listens to his teammates around him discussing plays and the strategies they went over earlier. There’s only one more day of practice before their first match, and even if their plays might not be as clean as it could be right now, the team is still more than ready to go.  
  
Team dynamics, at least, had settled in pretty early. Most of the guys got along great, and those that didn't knew better than to cause a scene. Right then, the guys are razzing each other, and everyone’s some kind of undressed when Kent opens a Twitter notification to a video someone took of Ashley in the skaters’ training rink talking over the boards to his coach about how “ _I can totally have a hundred McNuggets right now and still be good to skate. I know it, you know it, so…?”_

_“No. Now lets run through the footwork again.”_

_“Sofie!”_

_“You can have your McNuggets after the medal ceremony.”_  
  
“Parser?” Swoops raises an eyebrow at him, glancing down at the looping video. Kent takes a moment to rewatch the scene before responding.  
  
“Do you think you could eat a hundred chicken nuggets and still be good to play after?” Kent asks, maybe a little too loud just to be heard over the general chatter.  
  
“YES!” The shout comes from around the shower room door beside them. Hoots - Aaron Whoes, a D-Man from the Leafs - sticks his head around the door frame, focuses right on Kent and Swoops, and grins. "You totally could."  
  
As soon as Hoots heads back to his shower and the general chirping from the rest of the guys picks up and drowns out their conversation again, Swoops turns back to Kent. “Parse, what the fuck?” 

_**Athlete Dining Hall** _  
_**Olympic Village Coastal Cluster** _  
_**Sochi, Russia** _  
_**February, 2014** _

He's halfway through a weird salad at Team Lunch and discussing plays with his linemates when Kent's phone beeps at him with a message notification. A glance shows it's from his Twitter app. A better look shows it's from Ashley, a direct message, for once not accompanied by a picture. 

**@ashviccru** : hey R u doing anything in like an hour 

Kent wastes no time in replying, and soon enough he and Ashley have plans to work out together after Ashley's practice. Normally, Kent would go to the gym with the guys on his team, mainly Swoops and Tenny, to continue trying to build that team unification and commerardiery, but he's willing to bend that today. Especially if that means he gets to spend time with Ashley, even if it's probably not a very good idea.  
  
"Who ya texting, Parser? You got a dumb smile on your face." Norman Tennyson, a left winger for the Canadiens and one of the players Kent is closer to in the Games, bumps a shoulder against Kent's, knocking him into the person seated beside him. Shoving Tenny back, Kent sets his phone face down on the table as he laughs.  
  
"Your mom, Tenny, who else?" Kent smirks. The chorus of 'Ooohs' that the table lets out is more than a little childish, but morale is high and everyone seems to be just that much more comfortable to joke around after.  
  
It's another half hour before Kent heads out. Fielding kissy-faces and jokes of having hot dates from his teammates. Kent plays it off. Says he's got a Skype meeting with his manager coming up and he's got to get another workout in beforehand.   
  
Outside, Kent just manages to catch the shuttle back to the Park before it pulls away. Its surprisingly empty for early afternoon but that just means Kent gets his pick of window seats for the next ten minutes. 

_**Figure Skating Training Arena**_  
_**Olympic Park**_  
_**Sochi, Russia**_  
_**February, 2014**_

One of the volunteers managing the entrance to the training arena just about had a fit when Kent walked up. They chatted a bit and took a quick selfie together after he made sure Kent was on the admitted list, and Security had checked his badge, before motioning him inside. The building was nowhere near as grand as the actual Iceberg Skating Palace next door, but a rink is a rink and finding his way around was easy enough.   
  
The familiar _skritch-swoosh_ of blades on ice definitely helped.  
  
Stepping inside and taking a seat at one of the benches to the side of the ice, Kent noted that the rink was about the same size as the Aces' training one back home. Definitely smaller than any of the official arena rinks at the Games, and smaller than the hockey training ice, but large enough for Kent to see about half a dozen skaters working on their routines. And to see Ashley fall into a death drop and slide on his back for several feet.  
  
"Come on, Ashe! Take this seriously. One more jump then we're off the ice!" Sofia Jones is the exact kind of person that people would underestimate in a glance. Slight and pretty with the starting hints of grey through dark hair. The building wrinkles around her eyes and mouth are largely kept away through sheer stubbornness and a, what Ashley calls, frankly terrifying skincare routine. Of course, from Kent's vantage point in the back, he could barely point out the differences in the coach and her skater. If Ashe wasn't the only one of the two on the ice he would guess they were both competitors.   
  
Of course, that's before Ashley goes from gliding around the ice to taking the sharpest left and absolutely launching himself into the air. He lands back on a single foot and slides several feet before coming to a stop.  
  
Most everyone around the rink is silent for a moment before Sofia sighs out, "Acceptable. Let's go before we get chased off the ice." Ashley's smile is blinding and Kent really shouldn’t fault himself for the way he can't tear his eyes away.  
  
"Cool! I'm gonna hit the showers." And all of a sudden that smile is turned towards Kent who can barely breathe at this point. "Hey, Kent, I'll meet you by the doors in ten!" And, like an idiot, Kent's only reply is a thumbs up.  
  
Ashley hooks on his skate guards and disappears through a doorway to the left of Kent's bench before Kent even thinks of standing. He takes a few moments to watch the other skaters practicing, to check his Twitter notifications, and internally freak out at what he just saw Ashley do, before making his way away from the ice and back towards the entrance.  
  
"Kent." For the rest of his life, Kent will deny flinching when approached by Sofia Jones for the first time. He has almost a full foot in height and a hundred pounds on her, but a coach is a coach and his years in team sports has taught him better than to underestimate them.  
  
"Oh, uh, hey." He's absolutely sure he's about to be read to filth for distracting her skater this far into the Games. Is half braced to be told off for getting distracted himself at this level. She looks him in the eye for a moment before leaning against the same wall as him, facing towards the exit doors ahead of them.  
  
"Hear me now. I've known Ashley for a long time. And I know how he can get around cute boys." And it's absolutely the furthest thing Kent ever expected to hear in that moment. To the point where he is halfway apologizing already before fully registering the words she's said.  
  
"I'm so- Oh. It's, uh, not a problem, really. He's just having some fun." And it really is just Ashley having fun at Kent's expense. All the flirting and the looks and the teasing was just stuff that Ashley did with his friends. It's easy enough to see after Kent spent most of the night creeping through Ashley's social media and nearly dying at the sight of some of the photo shoot images he's uploaded. It's just the way Ashley interacts with people, nothing for Kent to get too excited about.   
  
"Even then. If you ever need him to stop just say so. Ashley will sometimes have problems with emotions in other people." She says, head turned back towards the back hallway. Likely watching for Ashley to reappear. "He will respect any boundary you set as long as you say something."   
  
There's a moment where Kent almost can't process the idea of wanting Ashley to stop. Just the thought that his new friend could stop being so familiar and stop feeding into Kent's, admittedly unfortunate, crush is almost heartbreaking.   
  
But of course, it's the appearance of things. Kent's not supposed to want that sort of attention from someone like Ashley, from a man in general. There's roles to be played in the life he lives and unfortunately, his feelings for Ashley don't quite fit into that. "Okay. Thank you for telling me."  
  
"Of course." It's followed by a very knowing sort of look that Kent is more than a little unwilling to try and decipher right then. Sofia walks off after that, in the same direction Ashley went earlier, and it almost feels like an acceptance.   
  
Ashley appears a moment later, not nearly long enough for Kent to get his bearings straight, with loose, damp, curls and a smile wide enough to prove he has a dimple in his left cheek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and Kudos always appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That easy smile is once again stretching at Ashley's lips, almost tearing the half scabbed cut that still hasn’t healed all the way. "I feel like that’s probably a compliment?” He pulls away just far enough to look Kent in the eye without letting go. "Y’know, if this is your way of asking, I'm clean and legal. Can we please go upstairs now?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm DONE stressing about this chapter!!! It's been half a year!! I admit defeat!!!
> 
> In other news, I'm still alive, moved to a new city, got a new job, started school again, and still can't write smut to save my life. The world's also on fire in more ways then one and I stress rewrote this chapter four times in the last month. Here's the iteration I have the least problems with!
> 
> Still no beta, so all mistakes are still mine.

**_Olympic Village Mountain Cluster_ **

**_Sochi, Russia_**

**_February 2014_ **

  
  


The Mountain Village is decidedly less populated than the Coastal Village is at this point in the Games. While the athletes are all training still, their tournaments won’t be starting in earnest until next week after most of the ice sports down the mountain are over with. Leaving the Village thankfully void of people for the group that made a beeline for a snow pile the second they stepped off the shuttle.

The decision for Kent and Jeff to spend their one full rest day before their first qualifying game in the other Village was more of a whim than it was a plan. The evening before, after Kent and Ashley had made their way to the dining hall post workouts, they were quickly accosted by several other athletes who had already recruited Jeff and another figure skater to the cause. 

Ashley had agreed almost immediately, clapping wrists with Marshall Sharrow, a skeletoner from Wales and the defacto leader of the trip, before the two were turning to Kent with a _look_. Ashley doesn't say a word, just smiles wider as the others try to convince Kent to come with them. 

It's, of course, Jeff that pulls it off.

"C'mon Parser, how often do we get to have snowball fights in Vegas?" And, other than reminding him that they play a winter sport and see snow pretty often on roadies, in the three years Swoops has been with the Aces Kent's never been able to say no to that smile.

It takes exactly two minutes before the first snowball is thrown. Mao Maeda, a figure skater from Japan competing in the Women's Single, lobs a poorly constructed lump of snow at Jeff's back almost as soon as he turns around. 

Teams formed quickly after that.

Ashley and Anton Strand, one of the two snowboarders from Norway they met on the shuttle and who Mao convinced to hang out with them, are still in No Man's Land when the forts start to go up. Anton dives behind Kent and Swoop's snow wall just as Karolina Ostberg, the other snowboarder from Norway, tosses a snow ball at him. Ashley makes a break for safety at one of the benches lining the sidewalk, but Marshall reaches for Ashley's jacket as he tries to pass.

"No! Nononono! I'm skating tomorrow and have a photo shoot next month! Get your hands off of me!" Ashley shouts through a honking laugh as Marshall chases him around the fort Mao and Karolina have managed to construct already. Kent watches from behind his and Jeff's own half built wall as the two skid around the snowballs the girls are throwing their way.

"Get in the snow fort, Ashe!" Mao calls as she lobs another glob of snow at the skater. Anton manages to toss a snowball that disintegrated two inches from Karolina's shoulder as Kent and Jeff work on shaping more of a supply.

"I am not getting in the snow fort!" Is the last shout Ashley gives before Marshall catches up with him and chucks the shorter man over his shoulder.

"Just get in the fort!" Karolina snorts around a laugh at the current predicament her friends are in. Jeff takes the opportunity to throw several snowballs at the women before ducking back to safety.

"Fuck off!"

Kent’s not sure if the way they all start laughing hysterically when Ashley is tossed behind the snow fort makes them bad people. 

"This could have been way easier, Ashe." Mao teases as she and Marshall retaliate to Swoop's attack.

"Screw all of you. You'll be hearing from my manager!" It almost sounds serious, but as dramatic as Ashley is, even he can't keep a straight face at the statement.

"His manager! Oh no!"

"Face it, Ashley, you're not scary." Genoveffa Necastro, a short track racer for Italy, laughs as she steps back into the snow with a stack of hot cups.

"I will be if my skin dries out because of you guys." He growls at Geno.

"Oh boo. You'll still be pretty after playing in the snow." Karolina pats Ashley's hair as she accepts a drink.

"Yeah. You play a winter sport anyway. Doesn't your skin dry out when you're on the ice?" Jeff, laughing but attempting to be the voice of reason, says from the other side of the snow wall.

"It's not the same!"

" _It's not the same!"_ Anton Strand mocks back in an oddly perfect approximation of Ashley's accent.

"Why do I hang out with any of you guys? Kent's my new favourite! He never hurts me like the rest of you!" Ashley snorts out around a laugh as Mao starts piling snow on him.

  
  


**_Olympic Village Coastal Cluster_ **

**_Sochi, Russia_ **

**_February 2014_ **

Ultimately, it's probably way too dark for Kent, or any of them really, to agree to race from the shuttle stop to the courtyard between America House and Norway House with any good conscious. Thankfully, they're all too high off endorphins from the afternoon to really care. So, arbitrary rules established, the four racers break into pairs and start running. 

Mao and Anton make it to the bike rack at just about the same time as Kent and Ashley do. Ashley holds to the point that they won, but Mao is adamant that it was a tie. Kent and Anton just try to catch their breath as Karolina and Geno arrive on bikes they had picked up at some point en route. Jeff walks up not long later, talking on the phone and giving the rest of them a thumbs up.

The mock argument ends in Mao and Ashley holding each other's arms while trying to push the other over in some approximation of a fight. They’re all laughing a bit too hard when someone in Australia House next to them shouts out a window for them to be quiet. Kent watches as Ashley slaps a hand over his mouth while Anton shouts an apology back. Jeff, Geno, and Karolina make plans to head to the athlete dining hall as Mao and Anton start suggesting the game room in the village proper.

“We should head in.” Ashley grins at Kent before turning to the others. “Great day guys! See you at breakfast!” There’s a chorus of farewells and boos that follow but Ashley just gives them all the finger as he and Kent turn to America House. Kent can feel himself laugh more than he can hear it as he and Ashley share a look as they reach the door.

At this point, they're both sweaty messes in desperate need of another shower, but the grins the two of them are sporting and the muffled laughter coming from outside the doors is more than enough to make up for it. 

The two make it halfway down the hall before they have to stop because Ashley is nearly falling over from laughing so hard. Kent can't help a giggle escaping him as well as they take a while to rest right there. In front of him, Kent can see Ashley leaning against the wall, hands pressing on his stomach and head leaned back as he tries to control his breaths. His eyes are caught on the long line of Ashley's neck, stuck on the way his Adam's apple bobs as he swallows. It's a moment before Kent can tear his gaze away from the sight, but as soon as he does his eyes lock with Ashley's. 

Kent's stomach drops.

He knew it was a bad idea. Friends aren't supposed to look at their friends like that. Especially not new friends like the two of them are. Ashley, despite any actions that would make him believe otherwise, isn't actually interested in him. It would make no _sense_. They've only really known each other for _three days._ And friends don't look at their friends like that, even if that friend is as pretty as Ashley is.

Kent's apparently lost the ability to speak as Ashley's gaze quickly jumps from suspicious to assessing.

Kent's apparently lost the ability to _move_ as Ashley pushes off from the wall and steps very firmly into Kent's space. 

They’re not touching, but there's barely so much as an inch of air between them. Warm brown eyes stare up into his own and Kent can feel every breath Ashley takes against his lips. This is, ultimately, the definition of a bad idea. It's everything he shouldn't be doing right at this moment. The fact that they haven't been caught yet is a _fucking miracle._ A miracle that Kent really shouldn't be hoping lasts just a little bit longer.

"Tell me to stop." It takes two breaths and Kent's gaze flicking down to that pretty pink mouth just a hair's width away from his own before Ashley closes the distance and absolutely destroys any hope of them stopping this.

Kent would be hard pressed to say what actually convinces him to kiss back. It's probably the worst idea he's ever come up with. Out in the open, in the hallway, thirty feet from the gym entrance, somewhere anybody could see. But the rising panic is tempered by the feeling of soft, glossed lips against his own and thin fingers trailing down his arms and the overall _impossibility_ of having Ashley actually want _Kent_ of all people here. 

It's completely too much to wrap his mind around. This whole situation makes no semse. It takes nearly all the will power and control Kent has to pull away.

“Ash- Ashley. I- You- Maybe we shoul- Are you-” As far as the ability to talk went, Kent will admit, he is _very_ bad at it right now. Even more so since he knows this is a bad idea and that he should pull away from the situation. Knows he should backtrack and try to go back to the easier pining he's been doing for the last two days. 

_This is not a smart idea._

But his hands are still on Ashley’s hips and he can barely see the brown in his eyes any more and even as he tries to convince himself to let go, Kent’s fingers tighten and all he wants to do is pull Ashley impossibly closer.

That easy smile is once again stretching at Ashley's lips, almost tearing the half scabbed cut that still hasn’t healed all the way. "I feel like that’s probably a compliment?” He pulls away just far enough to look Kent in the eye without letting go. "Y’know, if this is your way of asking, I'm clean and legal. Can we _please_ go upstairs now?"

Kent's not sure if it’s an apology or panicked rejection trying to crawl it’s way up his throat, but his only outward response is a half strangled " _Please_." before Ashley grabs him by the hand and pulls him around the corner to the elevators. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still have no idea how the Olympics work but I did find a US short track racer's vlogs about Sochi! Each video is only a couple minutes long but it gave so much information!
> 
> And if you want, come talk to me on Tumblr @kinkshamethegang!

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Kudos are always appreciated!


End file.
